Draft arm for soda fountains



June 30, 1 925. 1,543,716

H. J. M cuE DRAFT ARM FOR SODA FOUNTAINS Filed March 25, 1921 h e s-She" 1 June 30, 1925.- 1,543,716

H. J. M cuE DRAFT ARM FOR SODA FOUNTAINS Filed March 25, 1921 2 Sheets-Shoot 2 Patented June 30, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY \T. MGCUE, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE H. J'. MCCUE COMPANY,

- A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

DRAFT ARM FOR 'SODA FOUNTAINS".

Application filed March 25, 1921.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY J. MCCUE, a citizen ofthe United States, and a resident of Cleveland, county of Cuyahoga, and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Draft Arms for Soda Fountains, of which the following is a specification, the principle of the invention being herein explained and the best mode in which I have contemplated applying that principle, so as to distinguish it from other inventions.

The present invention, relating, as indicated, to dispensing arms, is particularly directed to an improved type of dispensing arm to be used in soda fountains and like uses, for the purpose of dispensing syrups to be used in ma ring soft drinks. One of the principal objects of the invention is the provision of such a device, which shall be simple in its construction and easy to operate, while at the same time the device shall be capable of accurately measuring and dispensing a given amount of syrup at each operation. To the accomplishment of the foregoing and. related ends, said invention, then, consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claim.

The annexed drawing and the following description set forth in detail certain mechanism embodying the invention, such disclosed means constituting, however, but one of various mechanical forms in which the principle of the invention may be used.

In said annexed drawings Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my improved dispensing arm; and Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same; Fig. 3 is a central vertical section on the line 33, Fig. 4; Fig. 4 is a central vertical section taken at right angles to the plane of Fig. 3, and on the line 44, Fig. 3; and Fig. 5 is a transverse horizontal section on the line 55, Fig. 4.

In Fig. -l the dispensing arm is shown, and consists of a tubular support 1, which is suitably attached to a foundation or counter, and upon the upper end of which is mounted a housing 2 in which the valve mechanism for controlling the dispensing of the syrups, is contained. At the lower end of the housing 2, and spaced a suitable distance fromthe support 1 is the discharging nozzle 3.

The syrup or other liquid to be dispensed is connected to the lower end of the tubular Serial No. 455,377.

support 1 and passes through a conduit 4 formed therein. This conduit 4 connects with a similar conduit 5 formed in the extending portion 6 at the back of thehousing, and leads to two chambers 7 and 7 mounted in'the upper end of the housing and placed side by side. These two chambers connect with measuring chambers Sand 8 formed in the housing below the chambers 7 and 7, through passages 9 and 9 which are controlled by means of valves 10 and 10. second set of upper chambers, measuring chambers, connecting conduits, 'and valves, are mounted in front of the set previously described, and two chambers on each side of the housing being supplied with syrup through one of the conduits 5 in the housing. There are two of these conduits 5, as indicated in Fig. 5, so that if desired two kinds of syrup may be dispensed through this single dispensing arm. f

Each of the chambers 8 and 8 discharges through a branched passage 12 into the discharging nozzle 3, the connection between the chambers 8, 8, and the passage 12 being controlled by means of valves 13 and 13. The variousvalves 10, 13, and the duplicates 10 and 13" thereof which are mounted behind the valves already named, extend through the side wall of the housing and are there provided with mutilated gears 14, 15,

16 and 17 which are all e-ngaged with a large mutilated gear 18 controlled by a handle .19. In operation by pulling the handle 19 forward and downward, that is toward the operator, the two sets of chambers on one side of the housing are operated in unison but in different ways. That is, such action of the valve handle 19 brings the valves into the positions shown in Fig. 4,

where the upper valve 10 is open and the lower valve 13, connecting with the same chamber 8. is closed. This chamber is then allowed to fill with syrup. The same action of the valve handle has brought the rear valve 10 corresponding to the valve 10' into the closed position, cutting off the flow of syrup into this chamber, and at the same time has opened the rear valve 13" corresponding to the valve 13, allowing the charge of syrup contained in the rear chamber 8 to flow through the conduit 12 and into the discharge nozzle. lVhen next a charge of syrup is desired the valve handle 19 is returned to its original position which reverses the conditions in thesetwo chambers 8 and 8"; that is the rear chamber 8 is then closed off from the conduit 12, while it is connected to the source of syrup supply and is allowed to fill. At the same time the forward of the two chambers is closed from the source of syrup supply by the valve 10 and is allowed to discharge its contents through the valve 13 and passage 12. The setof chambers and valves on the other side of the housing 2 is'identical with the set previously described, and is operated in the same manner by a corresponding valve handle 20. p p y I Extending centrally through the conduit 4 .is a pipe 21 connected with .a supply of carbonated water, this pipe 21 connecting with a passage 22 formed in the housing and leading up to the top of the housing where it is controlled by a valve 23 and a valve lever or handle 24. This valve 23 in one position places the conduit 22 in connection with the conduit 25 extending vertically through the housing between the chambers and valve members and terminating in the conduit 12 in a spray nozzle 26. This nozzle is provided with a series of laterally arranged openings 27 causing the water, when discharged through this nozzle, to flow out laterally and to strike against the walls of the conduit 12 and to some extent against the exposed surfaces of the valves 13 and 13 and the companion valves on the other side of said housing, thus cleaning these valves and also cleaning the walls of the conduitof any syrup which may remain thereon, so that vthe one common passage through which "'all of the syrup flows is always kept clean,

and the gumming and sticking of the moving parts, which is such a frequent source of trouble in dispensing apparatus is" entirely eliminated. lVhenever syrup, of the character used'in such apparatus, is exposed for any length of time to the air, it crystallizes and becomes extremely sticky, and finally hardens. In my improved dispensing arm the carbonated Water is employed to fluslr out the passages which may be exposed to the air as already described, in order to preventthe deposition of any of the syrup in these passages where it would be liable to harden and prevent or in anyway affect the proper action of the apparatus.

A further advantage of the present dis pensing arm is that it provides an accurately measured charge of syrup at each operation. In dispensing devices in which the flow ofsyrup is cut off atthe will of theoperator, in almost every case a larger amount of syrup than is actually necessary is allowed to flow into the glass, causing a considerable loss in an entire days operations. In any event, even though a less rather than a greater amount of syrup than is actually necessary is used, the beverages compounded with these charges of syrup are not uniform and are hencein general less satisfactory. In the present apparatus exactly the same amount of syrup is charged ateach operation, giving absolutely uniform beverages, while the amount of the charge is preliminarily calculated, and is the amount which has been found necessary to satisfy the average customer and to produce a beverage scientifically compounded.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employed instead of the one explained, change being made as regards the mechanism herein disclosed, provided the means stated by the following claim or the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention In a dispensing arm for soda'fountains,

the combination of a support, a housing mounted thereon, four measuring chambers occupying the respective quarters of said housing, a rotatable valve plug projecting inwardly above and below each measuring chamber in axial alignment with similar plugs projecting inwardly from the opposite side of said housing into the adjacent chama ber, with the valve ports of said plugs 'arranged transversely of the body portions thereof and at right angles to each other in the plugs above and below each chamber and also with respect to the adjacent plugs in the laterally and rearwardly adjacent chambers when said valves are in closed position in diagonally opposite chambers, and separate means on each side of said housing for simultaneously operating the valves of each laterally disposed pair of chambers.

Signed by me, this 17th day of M arch, 1921.

HARRY J. Moons, 

